CNN/SI Preview: Cincinnati Reds
Posted: Wednesday March 10, 1999 08:49 AM
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Neagle has won 52 games the past three seasons. Scott Halleran/Allsport |
By Ryan Hunt, CNN/SI Call it a call for arms. Cincinnati's offseason acquisition of
Denny Neagle was more than just snatching away Atlanta's No. 4 starter and
chipping away at the Braves' pitching dominance. The Reds got their hands
on their first bona fide ace since the days Tom Browning and Jose Rijo
ruled the riverfront. Neagle has won at least 16 games in each of
the last three seasons, including a 20-5 showing with the Braves in 1997.
The Reds, meanwhile, have had only one pitcher in the last 10 years win 16
or more games -- Pete Schourek
with 18 in 1995. The 30-year-old southpaw, who was acquired with
Michael
Tucker in exchange for Bret Boone and Mike
Remlinger, will anchor a much-improved rotation, along with 14-game
winner Pete
Harnisch and 13-game winner Brett Tomko and
fellow former Brave Steve Avery.
But it will be Neagle's duty to help give the Reds staff some of
the killer instinct that the Cy Young-laden rotations in Atlanta have had.
1998 Recap (77-85, 4th place, NL Central) Since the Reds
won the World Series in 1990, they've finished above .500 just twice in
eight seasons. In 1998, it was more of the same in Cincinnati. A
nondescript group of Reds had stretches of ugliness (losing 19 of 22 games
from June 1-24) immediately followed by stretches of brilliance (winning 15
of 16 games from June 25-July 15), which were followed again by more of the
ugliness (12 losses in 14 games from July 17-30). Even Schottzie
02 didn't know which Reds team was going to show up. Unfortunately for
principal owner Marge Schott (for now) and her loyal St. Bernard, the bad
times far outweighed the good. 1999 Outlook The
most-asked question when the Reds open the season April 5 against the
Giants will be "Can I get a program?" From last year's Opening Day
lineup, only two are likely to start for the Reds again this year -- C Eddie
Taubensee (if he can recover in time from an offseason wrist injury)
and 2B Pokey
Reese (who started last season at shortstop while Barry Larkin
recovered from an injury).
| Roster Roundup |
Who's
New
OF Greg Vaughn, P
Denny Neagle, OF Michael Tucker, P Steve Avery, OF Mike Cameron,
2B Mark Lewis,
C Brian
Johnson, P Mark Thompson,
OF Mark
Sweeney, 1B Hal Morris Who's Gone
OF Reggie
Sanders, 2B Bret Boone, 1B Paul Konerko, P Mike Remlinger, IF Damian
Jackson | | | |
The Reds will have an entirely new Opening Day outfield (Greg Vaughn,
Mike Cameron and a platoon of Tucker and lone incumbent Dmitri Young) a
different Boone in the starting lineup (Aaron will start at third, while
brother Bret was dealt to Atlanta) and players sporting facial hair.
Schottzie 02? She could be gone by Opening Day, too. Vaughn, who
brought his menacing goatee from San Diego, will add sorely needed power to
the lineup, which hasn't had a 40-homer guy in 21 years. He must help a
Cincinnati offense that finished in the middle of the NL pack in nearly
every major offensive category. Even with the addition of Vaughn,
Larkin remains the heart and soul of the Reds, and his bat is still pretty
potent as well. Larkin, who has played all of his 1,546 major league games
in a Cincinnati uniform, has hit over .300 in eight of the last 10 seasons.
But pitching will determine if the Reds are contenders or
pretenders. If the Reds can establish consistency in the bullpen and find a
competent closer (Gabe White?), the Reds can possibly challenge for a
wild-card berth. If not, Cincinnati may have an entirely different look
again when Opening Day 2000 rolls around.
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